Chapter 40

• The kitchen was a stark contrast to the grand halls of the palace—warm, filled with the scent of freshly baked bread and simmering broth, yet suffocating in its own way. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows on the stone walls, dancing between the rows of servants moving swiftly through their morning tasks.
• I lingered at the entrance, my fingers twisting nervously around the frayed hem of my dress. The weight of judgmental stares pressed against my back, but I forced myself to ignore them. I had spent days in this palace, yet I had never felt more like an outsider than I did now.
• “Catherine!”